Toothbrush storage caps fit over the head of a toothbrush, and protect the toothbrush bristles from dirt, grime and damage. Toothbrush storage caps are frequently used by travelers, and also by others who routinely carry toothbrushes such as orthodontic patients.
The prior art includes reusable toothbrush storage caps, as well as disposable toothbrush covers. One type of disposable toothbrush cover attaches directly to the head of the toothbrush. The advantage of this disposable toothbrush cover is its compact nature. On the other hand, many people prefer to purchase reusable toothbrush storage caps.
Reusable toothbrush storage caps are typically made from molded plastic (e.g., molded polypropylene). The molded plastic caps normally include a bristle compartment and a hinged cover. The toothbrush head lies in the bristle compartment longitudinally. The neck of the toothbrush passes through an opening located through the front wall of the bristle compartment and the front wall of the cover. One or more living hinges are molded between one of the longitudinal walls of the bristle compartment and a longitudinal edge of the cover. To keep the cover closed, one or more latch mechanisms are provided along the opposite longitudinal wall of the bristle compartment and the corresponding longitudinal edge of the cover, respectively. With this design, it is necessary that the longitudinal edges of the cap be straight to accommodate the one or more living hinges. After repeated use, storage caps with this design tend to distort slightly and the latch mechanisms become ineffective.
Toothbrush heads come in several shapes (e.g. rectangular, tapered, etc.) and sizes. Because it is difficult to fit a wide variety of toothbrushes snugly into the same compartment, conventional toothbrush caps tend to rattle on odd-shaped toothbrush heads. In one commercially available cap, the longitudinal sidewalls of the bristle compartment are tapered inward as the sidewalls extend downward. In this design, the inwardly tapered longitudinal sidewalls push the bristles together when the storage cap is used on a toothbrush. While this design tends to reduce rattling, it also distorts the toothbrush bristles and could possibly prematurely degrade the performance of the toothbrush.